About me
My work focuses on working with farmers to create agricultural systems that are sustainable, resilient to climatic stress (like drought!), and economically secure. Currently, I’m a fellow at the USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub. In this role, I’m working to enhance soil & crop health and adaptation to climate change, in part by facilitating collaboration among local farmers, researchers, and service providers. Some of my current research and outreach areas include soil health management, alternative grains crops, and rotations that incorporate perennials. This work is informed by the concept of Natural Systems Agriculture, which aims to create agricultural systems that mimic our native ecosystems and the benefits they provide.
I received my PhD in soil science from the University of Wyoming in 2024, where I worked with Jay & Urszula Norton and Linda van Diepen. During my PhD, I researched how land management decisions can support soil health in semiarid grain agriculture, and how soil microbial properties can inform our understanding of soil health. As part of this research, I worked with farmers to plant Kernza for the first time in Wyoming and evaluate its viability in a semiarid region. I also studied the long-term impacts of compost on dryland organic crops, and how plant breeding for increased yield impacts symbiotic bacteria and fungi that rely on plant roots. This work including a lot of outreach, including organizing Kernza field days and collaborations and working with a research farm to start a teaching orchard at a school in rural Nepal.
Going farther back, I received a bachelors degree in biology from Oberlin College (2018) and worked as a research intern for The Land Institute. In 2019, I spent a year living in an agricultural village in Sindhupalchok, Nepal, teaching English through a Fulbright grant. In my free time, I likes to hike, bike, and canoe around Laramie, Wyoming, and teach pottery.